Solano County staff to Board of Supervisors: Progress made in 2012

Solano County leaders must continue to make changes while facing an uneasy economy that attacked sources of revenue for county government throughout much of 2012.

Supervisor Linda Seifert and County Administrator Birgitta Corsello believe 2012 ended on a positive note and both are optimistic for what's coming in 2013, they said Tuesday as the Board of Supervisors heard a presentation of Solano's 2012 Annual Report by county staff.

"2012 is one of those years that I felt we were recovering," Seifert said as the report was detailed.

It was a year of change as the county "continued the journey to become a more nimble organization, improving our capacity to react to challenges and the opportunities that came our way," the report noted.

The downhill trend seems to be over and the local economy is growing, staff added.

For years, the county has been forced to "chip away" at an operational deficit by reducing programs and services that were not affordable. In 2012, however, the county was able to concentrate on how services can be provided more efficiently and how to begin rebuilding some programs and services.

"Going forward, we anticipate more change," the report noted.

Last year, the county took an innovative approach by investing in changing how it does business in the long term, including upgrading online payment systems for making park reservations, acquiring building permits and paying tax bills.

The annual report also looked at how the county was effective in 2012. This included being named among the 100 Best Communities for Young People for the sixth time, opening of the William J. Carroll Government Center in Vacaville, breaking ground on the Claybank Adult Detention Facility in Fairfield and moving forward with the Nut Tree Airport Master Plan.

Additionally, the county's crime laboratory is now fully accredited, more veterans are being served, the Suisun Marsh Protection Plan was updated and zoning regulations were modernized.

Despite changes in the economy, Solano County remains fiscally responsible, the report concluded, reiterating that the adopted budget for fiscal year 2012-13 is balanced.